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Ireland v France - HIA issue

In the 76th minute of today's game the French replacement scrum-half sustained a knee injury. His head was not hit in his injury. But apparently the match doctor approved an HIA. This was significant as it allowed the original scrm half Machinaud to come back on the field.

Who makes the call on this and can you use do a video review?

Nigel said "The official match doctor is telling me it is a HIA and it is the match doctor's call". But it was clearly incorrect and disadvantaged Ireland.

Re: Ireland v France - HIA issue

Originally Posted by wayner

In the 76th minute of today's game the French replacement scrum-half sustained a knee injury. His head was not hit in his injury. But apparently the match doctor approved an HIA. This was significant as it allowed the original scrm half Machinaud to come back on the field.

1: Who makes the call on this

and

2: can you use do a video review?

Nigel said "The official match doctor is telling me it is a HIA and it is the match doctor's call". But it was clearly incorrect and disadvantaged Ireland.

On

1: You answered your own question thus:

Originally Posted by Nigel Owen

The official match doctor is telling me it is a HIA and it is the match doctor's call".

2: No. See Nigels reply to Question one. The TMO is a "ref" NOT a Medically Trained individual.

Re: Ireland v France - HIA issue

Until World Rugby are solely responsible for the appointment of the Match doctor this is a problem rugby has to live with. Crossref suggest interchanges as the way forward. He could be right.

The same problem can in in the early days of replacements. A Doctor had to co0nfirm the play was unfit to continue for ANY replacement. This ewas routinely ignored with replacements going on before the doctor had examined the player. To "solve" the problem subs as well as replacemewnts were allowed.

Re: Ireland v France - HIA issue

Originally Posted by Marc Wakeham

Until World Rugby are solely responsible for the appointment of the Match doctor this is a problem rugby has to live with..

It really wouldn't make much difference - if the player told the independent match doctor, 'yes but just before that I got a massive bang to the head, and now I can't remember the score, or where I played last week' (or some such) .... it'll still be an HIA. A doctor is always going to (rightfully) err on the side of caution.

Re: Ireland v France - HIA issue

why would a doctor even have to see anything, if the player himself, or another player, or a coach tells the doctor that they saw a bang to the head, then what's the doctor (any doctor) going to do ? Say 'I don't believe you' ? Of course not, he's going to (quite rightly) order a HIA. That's kinda what HIAs are for...

Re: Ireland v France - HIA issue

I'd like to see the system changed, I don't really see a problem with the French Scrum half [who'd already been replaced ] from being allowed to rejoin the match.

Ireland wanted to profit from the injury of their opposition 9 to play out the remainder of the game 'without a true 9' in situ & that situation could give additional motivation to target arriving interchangees for special treatment.

If a team voluntarily interchanges one of their players who then gets injured then its reasonable for them to revert the original jersey occupier, our game has great values, one of them ought to be beat your opponents with skill cunning & tactics rather than injuring them to achieve your victory aims through their weakened inability to compete. [the natural limit is match day squad size - whatever that is]

So, as distasteful as the HIA/knee 'falsehoods were, I believe the french shouldn't actually be forced into a situation where they need to pull the stroke to maintain the competition of the fixture.

Re: Ireland v France - HIA issue

Originally Posted by crossref

why would a doctor even have to see anything, if the player himself, or another player, or a coach tells the doctor that they saw a bang to the head, then what's the doctor (any doctor) going to do ? Say 'I don't believe you' ? Of course not, he's going to (quite rightly) order a HIA. That's kinda what HIAs are for...

Wasn't helped by Nigel indicating a knock to the head very soon after he blew the whistle - though maybe he had a message in his ear to that effect.